Category Archives: Arts

“Congo to the Mississippi”: Recent Socially Conscious Music from Africa and the Americas

Posted on February 2021 by Al Kagan

It is wonderful that so much music from around the world is now easily available to us, especially through the Internet and radio. My main source is Songlines magazine, a monthly published in print and online in London. Every print … Continue reading →

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“The Big Scary ‘S’ Word” is Coming for your Children

Posted on December 2020 by Audrey Wells

  Did you know that Abraham Lincoln and Karl Marx had a correspondence; that Helen Keller was a socialist, as was Francis Bellamy, who authored the Pledge of Allegiance; that North Dakota practices public banking; and that in the 1840s … Continue reading →

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What I Learned While being the Poet Laureate for the City of Urbana . . .

Posted on December 2020 by Will Reger

I learned that the people of Urbana truly appreciated the emphasis on poetry in their public lives.  They felt it improved their town in a tangible way. I learned that many poets live in this community who don’t always interact … Continue reading →

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Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center Offers Digital Venue Space and Community with its Sounds Like Community Web Series

Posted on June 2020 by Nick Goodell

The UC-IMC has always been a popular venue space for performances of all kinds, from spoken word poetry to live music, to art shows, plays and much more. But when the pandemic struck, the IMC Board of Directors was forced … Continue reading →

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What to Watch for Dinner Tonight: Trump Through the Looking Glass

Posted on November 2018 by Audrey Wells

Who does Trump see when he looks in the mirror? Like many of us over the proverbial hill, he likely does not acknowledge his elderly self; he sees his younger self, glamorized through the pronounced image he cultivated over decades … Continue reading →

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Artist Spotlight on Charlotte Prieu

Posted on November 2018 by Public i

Tell me a little about yourself and your past creative work. I am a French native and a PhD student in French Linguistics at the University of Illinois. I am very passionate about social justice, especially regarding anti-racism and intersectional … Continue reading →

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Artist Spotlight: Mark Enslin

Posted on September 2018 by Samantha Schrage

A column curated by staff of the Urbana Public Arts Program Composer, performer, activist and teacher, Mark Enslin studied music at Webster College and has a doctorate in music composition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At the University … Continue reading →

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Nika Lucks

Posted on February 2018 by Rachel Storm

A column curated by staff of the Urbana Public Arts Program Nika Lucks is a local photographer originally from the Chicago Southside. Her most recent work, People of Speech: Part I, draws inspiration from parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, … Continue reading →

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The Water Project: Examining our relationship with our most precious resource

Posted on June 2017 by Nancy Dietrich

Nancy Dietrich is a resident of Urbana who became an environmentalist because she likes to breathe clean air and drink clean water. “Destruction of water resources and of forest catchments and aquifers is a form of terrorism. Denying poor people … Continue reading →

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Hip-Hop and the Black Radical Tradition in CU

Posted on November 2016 by Sunny Ture

i must confess that waltzes do not move me. i have no sympathy for symphonies i guess i hummed the Blues too early, and spent too many midnights out wailing in the rain. Assata Shakur – Culture The tradition of … Continue reading →

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IMC Gallery: Art Under Pressure

Posted on May 2016 by Travis Hocutt

The IMC Gallery is excited to announce Art Under Pressure featuring works from student artists from Centennial High School: Nellie Haug Amy Janson Brenda Gonzalez Salinas Avalon Ruby Adriana Ortiz Carolyn Cai Hannah Schriefer Pascale Grant Veronica Miller Opening Reception: … Continue reading →

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City and IMC Announce $50,000 grant for creative placemaking from the NEA

Posted on May 2016 by Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center

Downtown Urbana is about to become a lot more creative – thanks to the vision of local youth, the City of Urbana, the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center (IMC), and the National Endowment of the Arts. The NEA has announced awards … Continue reading →

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Youth Poetry

Posted on April 2016 by Public i

MY CURLY HAIR by Amina Alamin My curly hair can do anything it can be in big braids and in little braids and curled in to ringlets and many more things. Some people don’t like my hair and some people … Continue reading →

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Citizens Divided: the Presidential Campaign and Film

Posted on April 2016 by Audrey Wells

Audrey Wells (Audrey Wells is a retired educator, freelance writer, and co-author of The Art of Theater: Playing Movies for 100 Years.) In an important film from the 2008 presidential race, Ann Coulter warns of Hillary Clinton: “She’s far more … Continue reading →

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Cuba Libre?

Posted on March 2016 by David Prochaska

By David Prochaska President Barack Obama visited Havana March 2016. Perhaps even more important, the Rolling Stones played a free concert right after. Commercial airline flights to Cuba are likely to begin in October. Even as the US moves to … Continue reading →

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Picture Yourself Watching a Painting Dry and Loving It

Posted on January 2016 by Audrey Wells

Ready for a brain change? Try watching a languorous, lovely film. Skill is required. But like a meditation practice, it is worth the effort. Or travel the world through imagination and time. I suggest four vehicles below from South Korea, … Continue reading →

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Mother Nature EP by Klevah and T.R.U.T.H: The Elements Personified

Posted on November 2015 by Ruth Nicole Brown

There is no greater time to be a hip hop head in Champaign-Urbana. While the towns have always boasted superb talent―there is deep hip hop history here―that two emcees joined forces to create something new is newsworthy. Shasta Knox a.k.a … Continue reading →

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Hometown Dedication

Posted on November 2015 by Coco Harmon

The below poem was read by Coco Harmon at the 15-year anniversary celebration for the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center. You can watch it online here thanks to UPTV. — Have you been there? You know, that moment when your legs … Continue reading →

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Thank You, Mr. Walton

Posted on September 2015 by Chris Evans

On June 23rd, longtime homeless man Bill Walton passed away at age 69. He spent many of his last days on the steps on the Independent Media Center. Upon thinking of the passing of Bill this week, one of Bill’s … Continue reading →

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New Mural by CU’s Own Langston Allston in Downtown Urbana

Posted on July 2015 by Public i
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